So...the Saints are letting their FS go. Now they need one. Their defensive coordinator was once here and was vital in drafting Laron Landry. Saints are reportedly shopping their LTs (Brown and Bushrod). We need a LT...

So...the Saints are letting their FS go. Now they need one. Their defensive coordinator was once here and was vital in drafting Laron Landry. Saints are reportedly shopping their LTs (Brown and Bushrod). We need a LT...

Same here. I think that's GW's blessing and his curse. He thinks he'll get the same performance out of his system and not a single player.

Got news for the Saints. He was your best defensive playmaker and you can bet on losing 1-2 games JUST because he's not there anymore.

I think you're right TMC, but I don't think franchising him and paying him the tender would have prevented that 1-2 game regression. He's 34.

It's probably the right move to accept that his performance in this season was every bit as fluky as it was unexpected. He may still be a good player next year, but I wouldn't give him the franchise tender to force him to prove it.

If he leaves, they will have a big hole to replace, but I don't think he's going to leave. I think he'll test the market and re-sign.

__________________ according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Same here. I think that's GW's blessing and his curse. He thinks he'll get the same performance out of his system and not a single player.

Got news for the Saints. He was your best defensive playmaker and you can bet on losing 1-2 games JUST because he's not there anymore.

I think that's debatable. I don't know that Sharper was the best defensive playmaker down the stretch for that team. He only had 2 picks after week 8 last year and none in the playoffs. That's not to say that teams didn't start going away from him, but I don't think that putting the franchise tag on him would have been a good idea. I think there's a good chance he wouldn't have lived up to that kind of salary, uncapped season or not.

I agree that's he one of the best playmakers on that team, but Tracy Porter came up with some huge plays in bigger games that Darren Sharper. I think Sharper "had a great season" because of his first half. I don't know that his play down the stretch really sealed this idea that he's "back."